Misdirection - A Pokemon Black 2 Nuzlocke
by Slight Confusion
Summary: As a University student of Aspertia City, Vicente Torin is given a chance to roam the Unova region for its Gym badges; in return, he must aid Professor Juniper's research. But the Unova region is a dangerous place, teeming with barbarous organizations and myths beyond mortal comprehension. How will he fare against its trials? Rated for mature language and violence.
1. Chapter 1 - Good Morning!

It all began in the dead of night.

 _*Ring-Ring!* *Ring-Ring!*_

"…What the…" Vicente grumbled into the pillow, blindly grabbing for his X-Transceiver. He held the screen to his eyes, squinting to the blue light.

"…Who the hell calls at four-in-the-morning?"

Vicente took a brief second to think of answering the call, but couldn't recognize the number. He threw the thing across the room, and flinched as a heaping pile of textbooks took a tumble from his desk.

 _*Ring-Ring!* *Ring-Ring!*_

" _Sonova…_ Fine!"

He shuffled in defeat for the X-Transceiver. "Hello?" He asked with a yawn.

A cheerful woman's voice answered him. "Is this Vicente Torin?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Speaking."

"Hi, Mr. Torin! Sorry to disturb you, I'm calling as a representative for Pro-"

Vic groaned. "I'm sorry, I'm not interested in purchasing anything this night, thank you."

"No, wait! This isn't –"

*Boop!*

"…sigh… for Arceus's sake, don't telemarketers _sleep_?" He muttered as he bundled up the scattered university textbooks; Poke-Philosophy and the Humanities, Historical Studies, Chemistry... papers had spilled from every book, each scribbled with incomprehensible notes and doodles.

 _*Ring-Ring!* *Ring-Ring!*_

"Oh, for the love of- It's _four in the freaking-morning!_ "

He slammed the books on the desk. "Really? I mean, do you _really_ get paid enough to call people at four o'clock? Let a guy get some sleep, dam- oh."

He hadn't realized that the woman placed a video call the second time. He made a double take; she was a blonde woman, very pretty-faced, with a Musharna sitting on her head.

Wait, what?

"Mr. Torin, I'm not a telemarketer. I'm a TA for Professor Juniper." Her voice was less cheerful now, but not yet angry. Her Musharna, however, was giving him a death stare that could make a Dusknoir run for its life. "I'm sorry for the hour, but the Professor called me. She needs to speak with you. It's an urgent matter, from what I've been told."

 _'…_ _Well, shit.'_

* * *

"…Mr. Torin, did you hear me?"

"What? Oh, sorry, yes!" Vicente shook himself out of his stupor, "Why is there a Musharna on your head? Wait, I'm sorry, that was rude of me. Agh… Yes! Right!"

 _'_ _Smooth Move, Vic.'_ He'd never seen two things more confused in his life. He could feel his cheeks getting hot.

"I'm sorry, Miss..."

"Bianca," she said irritably. He hadn't meant for it to sound presumptuous, but he didn't dare to try and fix it. The Musharna began to curl up in the large, green beret on Bianca's head, and lost interest in the student.

"Bianca, where would the Professor like to meet?"

"In her office."

"Okay!" Vicente tried to scoop up as much of his dignity as possible. "I'm on my way! Thank you, Bianca. I'm sorry for hanging up on you," he added quickly.

"I'd put on some pants before you go," she said bluntly.

*Boop!*

He let out a heavy sigh, and placed the X-Transceiver on the twisted bedsheets. "…either I'm getting out of writing my term paper, or I'm royally screwed."

"I'd bet on screwed," a voice said from across the room.

Vicente flinched. "How much of that did you hear, Karlos?" He asked his roommate as he jumped into a pair of jeans. _'Hell, how'd he stay asleep for that long?'_

"Enough to know that it doesn't _matter_ what time of the day it is, you don't have game."

Karlos dodged the empty Pokeball flying toward his face. "You can't aim either. What'd you do, anyway? It takes a lot to piss off Juniper."

He pulled his arm through a jacket sleeve, "I didn't _do_ anything! And who calls at four o'clock in the morning? What professor's that crazy?"

His roommate shrugged. "Hey, if you don't make it back, can I have your laptop?"

Vicente let out a fake laugh, and gave him a gesture on his way out.

* * *

 _Hello! I'm glad to see you've stopped by. Welcome to the Nuzlocke!_

 _Before we get too far into this, I thought I'd say a few things. Of everything that I've written, this piece is the furthest out of my comfort zone (hopefully, the quality of this story won't reflect that). The Nuzlocke that I will be writing about is the first that I've ever attempted, and… and…_

 _…_ _okay, I'll cut the bullshit. This is going to be really rough. I'm terrible at playing games with challenges like this. But, playing a Nuzlocke is supposed to strengthen the bond you have with your team – and give them more character than they previously had – and I need the practice for writing good characters and action scenes. That, and I've had a blast with what I've played so far, so, why not keep going, right?_

 _Enough tiptoeing; what IS a Nuzlocke, anyway?_

 _Well, a Nuzlocke is a player-defined way to play a Pokemon game; a challenge, if you will! It takes the simple rules of the game and…_ tweaks _them a little._

 _The general rules for most Nuzlockes are the same, but each has its quirks. Here are the rules I adhere to as I play (and write):_

 _1) If a Pokemon 'faints' in battle, they are considered 'dead', and must be released (UNLESS it's due to a battle in an institution, like the Battle Subway; I mean, there's got to be a LITTLE levity here, right? … Wrong? I don't know. If you've got any suggestions or thoughts, lay 'em on me!)._

 _2) A Pokemon can only be replaced by another Pokemon – and it must be a WILD Pokemon, not one deposited into storage (automatically stored is a different case) – if it has died. In the case of HM-using Pokemon, a Pokemon may be swapped with an HM user temporarily, if absolutely necessary. This Pokemon cannot participate in any battles, however, and must be swapped with the original Pokemon as quickly as possible._

 _3) If all of the party members faint, its game over; for the playthrough, AND the story!_

 _4) Bred Pokemon cannot be used (this may be explained in further chapters)._

 _5) Only the first encountered Pokemon in an area may be caught, excluding Legendaries. This Pokemon may only be added if there is an empty space in the party, due to a death or to a shortage of the maximum six team members._

 _a. In the course of the game, ONE Legendary Pokemon may be used; multiple may be caught, and sent to the PC box (not deposited), allowing for a choice._

 _…_ _Aaaaand yeah! That's about it. If you've got something to say about the story, a recommendation, or just want to chat, shoot a message my way. Thanks for taking interest in the story! Chapter Two should be coming soon._


	2. Chapter 2 - On that road again

"Ah! Mr. Torin, I'm glad to see you've shown up. Bianca told me that she caught you at a… less than opportune time." The professor sat behind an old oak desk, putting assorted folders and binders into its drawers.

"Err… sorry for that, Professor Juniper." He shut the door behind him. "I passed her on my way in, she said you wante-"

"Oh, don't worry about it," she interrupted with her trademark smile. "I'd be out of sorts too if someone woke me up before sunrise. Please, sit," she said calmly.

"Thank you." Vicente took his seat. "What did you want to talk about?"

Juniper's smile became broader. "Yes, of course. I'll cut to the chase. Vicente, I don't mean to be presumptuous," she rose from her desk chair, "but most students of the University come with at least one Pokemon, if only for safety. You did not. Why is that?"

He was taken aback by the question. "It isn't for lack of trying, I'll say that much. I… well, our family used to be with a Magmar, but he passed a while back. I've tried to bond with others, but it's been a rough time."

"Oh, my… I'm so sorry. How did it happen, if I'm able to ask?"

He cleared his throat. "No, it's okay. We - that is, my mother and I - brought Charlie to a kennel in Castelia for a few days. We had to go to my sister's wedding back in Jubilife City, and he was never very good with traveling; whenever we'd try to train him to do otherwise, he'd set the car upholstery on fire. After everything in Sinnoh, we came back to the kennel … _aaaand_ the place was shut down. There was a sign on the door, saying the breeders in charge of the place were in custody."

" _Arceus_ …were they…?"

"Smugglers? Yeah. They sold the eggs of deposited Pokemon on the black market, then… put down the parents when they were finished with them. We never found Charlie"

Professor Juniper let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, Vicente. I didn't mean to be rude."

He shrugged and smiled. "No, it's alright. Charlie's been gone for a long time now, I'm past most of it. Why do you ask?"

"… Vicente, would you consider partnering with another Pokemon?"

He paused. "If I had a chance to? Definitely. I don't know if I could have one in the dorm, though; that's just not enough room for a Pokemon to live in."

The professor smiled. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear."

* * *

Three days later, an assistant from Juniper's lab in Nuvema Town came into the Aspertia City University. By then, Vicente had filled out most of the necessary certifications and release forms. Juniper had given him an enticing offer: one that he had decided to take.

In accordance with her research (and Vicente's remaining university career), Vicente would be given a Pokemon as a partner to explore the Unova region, and – if he so desired – fulfill the Unova Gym Challenge with. He would investigate the status of Unova's ecosystem and culture on a personal level, and relay his studies to the Professor through the Pokedex – a highly sophisticated encyclopedia device. In exchange for his service to the professor, Vicente would receive college credit, and be streamlined into the work of a Pokemon Professor.

"Of course, you'll still have to turn in a term paper or two. The other professors were more accepting to all of this than I had anticipated, but they still have their conditions. Rowan will need you to attend his ITV courses, but he'll be fine if you watch the livestreamed version, then turning in your coursework online. You have a working laptop, right?"

Vicente didn't hear her. _"In compliance with this agreement, the Unova University – The University of Aspertia City and all encompassed institutions under the Unova University name – is not liable for any loss of life incurred by/involving the interested party, such loss including but not limited to: death, loss of limbs, the crippling of limbs, disease, mental retardation, insanity…"_

Professor Juniper smirked. "The University and I may not be _liable_ , per say, but that doesn't mean I can't give you an allowance for such things, in the case that the need arises. I'm not throwing you to the Pyroars, Vicente."

Vicente heard a faint, electronic buzzing. The professor looked down at her wrist, "Ah! Right on schedule. Vicente, paperwork will have to wait!"

* * *

A rotund man in a lab coat stood outside the doors of Volcarona Hall. He held a large, metallic capsule in his arms. As he saw the two come through the doors, he grinned. "Aurea! Finally, I've been looking for you everywhere. I assume this is your pupil?"

"One of them, yes. Vicente, meet Alexander Damse; Pokemon Breeder extraordinaire, and a good friend of mine."

"Pleased to meet you, Vicente." Alex finagled the canister so he could shake hands with the student. "I've heard good things! Aurea's taken you under her wing, eh? She knows how to pick 'em."

"Thank you," he said cheerfully. _'I think…'_

"Let's get to it, then. Alexander, if you please?"

"Right!"

He pressed a switch on the front of the capsule. A long hiss escaped from its seams, and the hinged lid opened. A chill ran down Vic's spine.

"You have three Pokemon to decide from: Oshawott on the right, Tepig in the middle, and Snivy on the left."

All of a sudden, a wave of doubt overcame him. Days before – months earlier, in fact – he decided on a water type. Now, in the moment, he wondered if it was the right choice. Even more, all of the pre-choice jitters were coming back to him. Would Oshawott like him? Would he be a good enough trainer?

He took the Pokeball. _'Only one way to find out.'_

The professor grinned. "Oshawott! And you're positive she's who you want to be with?"

Vicente nodded.

"Well then, congratulations! I think you two will work well together. Would you like to give her a name?"

"…Lyza. I'll name her Lyza."


End file.
